Harney County Court discussed wildlife‑services funding and recent wolf‑livestock conflicts during the Dec. 3 meeting, noting county budget pressures and potential avenues for additional resources.

Speaker 3 presented a letter circulated to the Eastern Oregon Counties Association outlining concerns about wildlife‑services costs and an increasing workload tied to wolf conflicts. Speaker 3 said Harney County covered about 80% of last year’s wildlife‑services costs and described outreach to Harney County NRCS and Grant County for funding collaboration for a preventative (non‑lethal) specialist.

Commissioners and staff discussed the idea of special districts for predator control, which Speaker 3 said existed in some counties (e.g., Klamath) but currently lacks enabling legislation for Harney County. Speaker 3 noted Representative Owens and others are pursuing legislative change but that statutory authority may not be available until 2027.

Updates from the Wolf Advisory Committee: low applicant turnout for positions (four applications this cycle) and a plan to review wildlife‑services hours to allocate funding toward preventative measures. Michael Dellman was elected committee chair and several membership vacancies were noted.

The court encouraged continued pursuit of state and federal funding sources and intercounty collaboration to sustain wildlife‑services capacity amid increasing predator‑related demands.